WWE's Carmelo Hayes Explains Why Main Roster Transition Is 'A Different Beast'

After three years in the developmental brand of "WWE NXT," Carmelo Hayes received his official call up to the company's main roster during the 2024 WWE Draft. Since then, Hayes has emerged as a strong heel on "WWE SmackDown," with notable wins over AJ Styles, Andrade, and Randy Orton. As Hayes tells "Gorilla Position," though, the initial transition to WWE's main roster can be quite difficult.

"I don't know what he can do on the main roster because it's yet to be seen," Hayes said when asked about NXT Champion Trick Williams' potential on WWE's main roster. "This is a whole different beast. NXT is one thing. When I got here, it was a whole brand new thing for me. I had to figure it out on my own, so that's yet to be seen."

Regarding his own path from "NXT" to "SmackDown," Hayes reiterated that there is a big difference between the work environments. "It wasn't easy and it's still not easy," Hayes said. "I'm still trying to figure out my footing and things like that. It's easy to be the big fish in the small pond, but when you come up where everybody's a shark and all these guys have been doing it for a long period of time, you have to find out. Get in where you fit in."

Hayes, a former NXT Champion, wasn't the only talent elevated to "SmackDown" this year, as Blair Davenport followed suit on night two of the WWE Draft. Elsewhere, the likes of Lyra Valkyria, Ilja Dragunov, and Kiana James were reassigned from "NXT" to "WWE Raw."

If you use any of the quotes in this article, please credit "Gorilla Position" with a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.